Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Jeanne C. Jones of Mississippi State is a new Fellow of The Wildlife Society.
An associate professor in the university's Forest and Wildlife Research Center, she is being honored by the Bethesda, Md.-based organization for "distinguished and exceptional service" to the profession.
"Dr. Jones is known for her work on reclaiming military base land for wildlife habitat," said Bruce Leopold, wildlife and fisheries department head. "Her research has impacted bases throughout Mississippi and Alabama with sound wildlife management programs that are integrated with the facilities' primary training missions."
In addition to military land restoration, Jones is a specialist in ecotourism and the economic values of game and non-game wildlife, as well as ecosystem management and restoration, with an emphasis on conservation of native biological diversity.
Jones has several earlier career honors, including the Mississippi Wildlife Federation's 2006 Wildlife Conservationist of the Year Award, Integrated Natural Resource Management Team's 2005 Group Achievement Award (for work at NASA's Stennis Space Center) and her selection in 2004 as the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education's Mississippi Professor of the Year.
"Jones is an exceptional researcher and teacher, as evidenced by her numerous accolades," Leopold observed.
A Vicksburg native, Jones holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a master's and doctorate from MSU. An artist trained in illustration and photography at the University of Arizona, she often contributes paintings and drawings for fund-raising efforts by non-profit organizations.
Founded in 1937, The Wildlife Society is an international scientific and educational organization representing wildlife professionals.
Jones is a TWS-certified wildlife biologist who held various leadership posts in the organization's Southeastern Section, including president, secretary and treasurer.
She also is active in other conservation organizations, such as the Nature Conservancy, Mississippi Bear Education and Restoration, and Mississippi Wildlife Federation.
ATTN: EDITORS
The Wildlife Society is the organization's formal name.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.